The Best Mask
by Beedok
Summary: Is none at all. Kid's arrested, but he's got a plan to ensure Kuroba Kaito won't be charged.


Trying the heist while he was sick wasn't Kid's best idea ever. Add in a surprise visit from Detective-of-the-West-san (no doubt out for a little vengeance after last time), along with Hakuba and Inspector Nakamori being in the top of their game for once, and it had been a disaster. The little Great Detective never made his life easier either. And so here he was, dogpiled by excited police, struggling to breath and wondering just what they were feeding these riot cops.

There was no easy escape option... it was time to initiate Plan S.

As the dogpile sorted itself out, Kaito was handcuffed at least 40 times. All three hobbyist detectives were watching him intently, Hattori glaring daggers his way. Kid, however, was smirking away at the simple brilliance of his plan.

"So, I've finally got you right where I want you, Kaitou Kid," Inspector Nakamori said, filled with bravado.

"I would have thought you'd want me in a cell, Inspector?" Kid asked in the most annoying tone he could manage.

"I... well, of course. But this is the next best thing," the Inspector grumbled. "Time to wipe that cocky grin off your face and find out who you are, once and for all!"

As Nakamori grabbed Kid's top hat, the fandom thief decided to give his 'warning'. "For the reputation of the Metropolitan Police, you might not want to find out."

"Enough nonsense," Nakamori grumbled, yanking the white hat from Kid's head.

The sight of partially slicked hair clearly resonated with the inspector's memories. Of course the best reaction was the glare from Conan as Kid let the monocle drop.

"Kudo Shinichi?" Nakamori half gasped. "I... I'm not falling for another lame disguise, Kid!"

The inspector began tugging at Kid's cheek to remove the mask, which only succeed it getting pained noises from Kid as the yanking got rather painful. Nakamori gave up, stepping back in shock.

"It's not a mask," the inspector muttered. "Everyone but the detectives: out! Now!"

"He's not really Shinichi!" Conan shouted. "It's impossible."

The various officers filing out began whispering about what was happening. A few had thought Kudo was dead.

"Oy! Stop that gabbing! Move it!" Nakamori shouted, until the men had filed out.

"Of course not, he's too young," Nakamori then said to Conan (now that only those more knowledgeable on the situation were present), though he seemed rather uncertain. "But that's not a mask..."

"I inherited the position. My quick thinking and intellect impressed the previous Kid. It's a full time gig, that's why I've had to disappear the past year," Kid explained. "Tried to do school and this gig for a bit, but it just wasn't working."

Hakuba stepped forward and glared at him. "And I suppose the similarity in your appearance to my classmate Kuroba is pure coincidence?"

Kid shrugged (at least as much as he could, cuffs limiting his movement). "A very useful coincidence. I actually borrowed his identity once or twice to nudge your intuitions further astray. Pretending to be a terrible skater was a particularly fun one."

Hakuba backed off, lost in thought. Conan was unconvinced, but Kid knew the was no convincing Kudo Shinichi that Kaito Kid was secretly Kudo Shinichi.

Hattori glared. "Nuh-uh, ya can't be Kudo. I know exactly where Kudo is."

"Oh, then... where is that?" Kaito asked, grinning insufferably at Hattori's stumble. The full truth couldn't be revealed casually to someone as loud as Nakamori after all. And Nakamori had the final call here.

"We'll find out who you really are back at HQ," Nakamori said. "We've got ourselves a new ultra secure cell I've just been dying to try out. Even you can't escape it."

Kid just grinned. That was exactly the cell he wanted.

* * *

Kid had found the fingerprinting process severely nerve wracking. If they'd noticed he was wearing fake prints the whole plan could go sideways. Luckily they missed the tiny variations in skin texture that might have revealed things

Now came the waiting part. Most of the police were certain he was Kudo. All Kid had to do was see how long it took Conan to prove them wrong. So far it had been 27 hours.

Clearly transforming was as tricky for the real Kudo as he'd originally guessed. It would have ruined his plans if the Heisei Holmes had shown up too quickly.

The sound of a door opening drew Kid's attention to the hallway, and away from his fiddling with the tracking bracelet around his ankle. A pair of gruff police officers were flanking a teenage girl. The girl herself had a very athletic build, and a face Kid recognized in a second.

"Sh-Shinichi... why?" Ran asked.

Kid shrugged. "Partially the challenge. Playing cop is so much easier; you have all these resources on your side. As the robber, it's you against the world. Partially... well, there's still some investigation to be done. Groups the police can't go after, thanks to corruption and infiltration. A single phantom thief is much more nimble."

"That wasn't what I meant," Ran whispered, leaning forward and drawing Kid closer with her soft speech. Kid was leaning so close that it was almost a kiss when Ran continued. "Just... why didn't you tell me?"

Kid looked at the cute girl, so easily in kissing range, and struggled with his instincts. He had a role to play... then inspiration struck. Kid stood up a bit, and kissed Ran on the forehead. "Maybe I'm not proud of some of what I've had to do... I didn't want you to look at me differently."

The words were genuine, because they were his reasons for a girl who didn't look all that different from the one standing outside his cell.

Ran stared teerfully at him a moment. "I have a lot to think about... I'll see you again, Shinichi."

With the girl leaving, Kid reached out, trying to grab her arm. His attempt was knocked away by one of the two officers accompanying her.

"No grabbing guests, Kid," the man hissed.

"Fine, Fine. You don't have to be so rough though. And could I get a magazine to read or something? It's pretty boring in here," Kid complained, while lightly prodding the officer's shin with his foot.

The police just glared and led Ran away.

Kid watched and slid the micro radio Jii had passed him during that little 'smack' into his ear.

* * *

It was another 17 hours before the radio crackled with the news Kid was been waiting for. Somewhere on the upper levels of the Metropolitan Police building, the real Kudo had appeared, with Hattori there to back him up, along with information only Kudo could know. Kid smiled. It was time to slip into part two. He tousled his hair, quickly washed the micro-radio before swallowing it, along with a small sedative he'd kept carefully hidden.

The next thing he knew the hallway was filled with police glaring at him. Nakamori was front and centre, staring at him in disgust.

"The real Kudo has been cleared, Kid. I just had a meeting with him... it was a good attempt Kuroba-kun, but it's fallen through. Especially when you've been missing the whole time."

"W-Wait! Inspect—uncle Nakamori, what's going on? How did I get here?" Kaito asked, as pathetic and innocent as he could imagine. The grogginess from the sedatives helped. "This man was in my house last night... or maybe it was a couple nights ago? He drugged me, and I was being held somewhere dark. I'm not sure how long it's been... then they drugged me again, and I just woke up here."

"A nice story Kaito, but the tracking bracelet we put on Kid hasn't left the building. In fact it's right there on... on... it's not on his ankle!" Nakamori shouted. "Get in there! Find out where he hid it!"

The doors opened and Kaito was flooded with police, pressed up against a wall by the mass of bodies searching the cell. During all this chaos, Nakamori's radio crackled to life.

"Er, Inspector? This is the camera feed room. You're in Kid's cell by now, right?" The crackly voice asked.

Nakamori picked up his radio. "Of course I am! With twenty officers!"

"Well, the feed is just showing Kid sitting alone."

Nakamori's eye twitched. "Get me the GPS on his tracker!"

There was was a pause as the police swarming the cell checking everywhere for the ankle bracelet turned to listen for the results.

"Uh.. it's in the laundry room, sir," a voice announced weakly across the radio.

"THE LAUNDRY ROOM!? Why wasn't I informed when it left his cell?" Nakamori shouted into the tiny radio.

"Well, the cameras said Kid was still in his cell, and the automatic alarm only activated if he left the building with it," came the nervous reply.

Nakamori shouted a primal noise and threw the radio against the concrete wall, shattering it.

"Am I still a prisoner?" Kaito asked softly.

The inspector sighed and let his shoulders fall. "Aoko would probably lock me out of the house if I kept you here on such shaky grounds. Even if you're a prime suspect again... We shouldn't have let Kudo leave! This cell should've have been impregnable... how did Kid escape? And then drop off Kaito just to annoy me?"

* * *

Kaito was led out of the building by a pair of officers. The men then had to explain Kaito's prison jumpsuit to the cab driver. In turn, the driver demanded to be paid up front.

It was only once he was home and in the safety of his Kid room that Kaito let the massive grin he'd been holding in spread from ear to ear. Making them think you'd already escaped was always the best way to get out of a pickle.

He just hoped Conan didn't hold too much of a grudge.


End file.
